Presidents Day Trivia

Across the country many celebrate Presidents Day, but that’s not the official name for the holiday.

The official name for the federal holiday is Washington’s Birthday. The date of George Washington’s birthday is Feb. 22 and that’s when it was once celebrated. We began celebrating it on the third Monday of every February to comply with the Monday Holiday law; the celebration now includes other presidents.

“We call it Presidents Day because we use it to recognize more than just Washington, (but also) other presidents who have made a lasting impression on our country,” UCCS Political Science Professor Joseph Postell said.

Postell said he doesn’t expect the federal government to change the official name of the holiday from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents Day.

“After all, Washington might be considered a greater president than some of the other presidents in our history,” he said. “And celebrating Franklin Pierce at the same time that we celebrate George Washington might seem to some people to be inappropriate.”